Say what you will about the Dallas Cowboys signing Ronald Jones and drafting Deuce Vaughn, but nobody is expecting either player to fill Ezekiel Elliott's shoes in the offense.
The Cowboys plan at running back remains unclear as OTAs get underway this week. Tony Pollard remains the clear lead back, but it would behoove the team to add another proven entity to the mix ... unless they plan on giving Pollard a massive workload before letting him walk as a free agent after the season.
Assuming that isn't the case, there are ample options available for Dallas if they're looking to add to the RB room. Dalvin Cook has been floated as a potential target given the Vikings are actively shopping him in trades.
It's widely expected Cook has played his last snap for Minnesota. Though 27 years old with a noteworthy injury history, he's still one of the 5-7 best backs in the league.
That begs the question of what it would take to acquire Cook?
This Cowboys-Vikings trade for Dalvin Cook could actually work:
The going rate for running backs is very cheap. As we noted earlier, though, Cook remains one of the league's most dynamic and explosive backs.
In 2022, he rushed for 1,174 yards and eight touchdowns on 4.4 yards per attempt behind a wonky offensive line. He added 39 catches for 295 yards and two scores as a receiver, while forcing 51 missed tackles, averaging 3.18 yards after contact per rush attempt and totaling 30 explosive runs, per PFF.
The idea of trading for a RB in today's NFL sounds crazy, but the Eagles were lauded for acquiring D'Andre Swift during the 2023 draft. For context, Philadelphia got Swift for a 2025 fourth-round pick and a seventh-round swap in April's draft.
Let's make one thing clear: We're not banging the table for the Cowboys to trade for Cook. In a perfect world, they wait for the Vikings to release the four-time Pro Bowler -- if they can't find a trade partner -- and pursue him as a free agent so they doesn't have to jettison any draft picks.
Still, the thought of a Pollard-Cook-Vaughn backfield trio is mouthwatering.
.@Vikings Twitter banner casually replacing Dalvin Cook with Alexander Mattison pic.twitter.com/gX0OOXdNGZ
— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) May 16, 2023
The Vikings asked Cook to take a pay cut and the RB didn't oblige, so the writing is on the wall. Unless fences are mended, Cook will be on a new team in 2023.
It ultimately might not be the Cowboys, but it couldn't hurt if Jerry Jones and company sniffed around to gauge his market and potential value.
The offense is fine as currently constructed, but why should Dallas rest on its laurels as they pursue their first Super Bowl since 1995?